MEN'S BASKETBALL: Oakland tops Nate Wolters, South Dakota State

Oakland University men's basketball Head Coach Greg Kampe argues a call with a referee during second half action against South Dakota State University. Oakland beat SDSU, 88-83. Photo taken on Saturday, February 9, 2013, at the Athletics Center O'rena in Rochester, Mich. (Special to The Oakland Press/Jose Juarez)

Oakland University men's basketball player Travis Bader puts up a shot during first half action against South Dakota State University. Oakland beat SDSU, 88-83. Photo taken on Saturday, February 9, 2013, at the Athletics Center O'rena in Rochester, Mich. (Special to The Oakland Press/Jose Juarez)

ROCHESTER -- Oakland has faced a Summit League leader in each of its last three home games at the O'rena. Just like the two previous games, the Golden Grizzlies came out on top, beating South Dakota State, 88-83, Saturday, pushing their win streak to five games.

Oakland coach Greg Kampe was happy with the way his team has been able to win in different fashions in each of those victories.

"That's a sign of a good basketball team when you can play different ways and win," he said. "It's been a good two weeks. The team is really getting better and I'm really excited about it."

There was a big spotlight on Oakland sharp-shooter Travis Bader and South Dakota State guard and NBA prospect Nate Wolters, who had 53 points Thursday at Fort Wayne, a Division I season high. Wolters' total surpassed Bader's previous high, 47 points vs. IUPUI last month. Wolters (22.17 points per game) and Bader (21.76 points per game) were fourth and fifth in scoring, respectively, entering Saturday's game.

Neither disappointed, as Bader led the Grizzlies (13-13, 8-4 Summit) with 31 points, including 9-for-16 shooting from 3-point range. Wolters paced the Jackrabbits (19-7, 10-3) with a game-high 36 points to go with seven assists and six rebounds.

"He was great," Kampe said. "Hopefully, we get to see him one more time (in the conference tournament)."

The Golden Grizzlies' last loss, which Kampe referred to as a "debacle," was a 19-point loss to South Dakota.

"I don't know if we'd be as good today if we hadn't lost that game," he said.

Kampe referenced another gut wrenching Oakland loss, a Nov. 17 overtime defeat at Pitt where the Golden Grizzlies held an 18-point second-half lead.

"The difference between this team then and now," Kampe said. "This team believes it can win. When you have that going for you and you believe you're not going to lose, you usually don't."

The confidence showed, as the Grizzlies overcame a halftime deficit and usurped an early second-half South Dakota State lead. After Wolters put the Jackrabbits up by one, 47-46, with 17:28 to play, Oakland never trailed again, leading by as many as 10 points down the stretch.

Guard Duke Mondy, a large presence in the Grizzlies' defense, had four steals to add to his nation-leading total. He credited Oakland's defensive rotation and pride with their early second-half comeback after faltering the last six minutes of the first half.

"We knew in order to win this game, we had to get stops," he said.

After Drew Valentine put the Grizzlies up seven, 36-29, the Jackrabbits went on a 13-0 run to pull ahead by six with 25 seconds remaining in the first half. Mondy hit a running bank shot at the halftime buzzer to cut Oakland's deficit to four, 42-38.

Bader, who led the nation with 105 3-pointers made entering Saturday's game, hit six of his first seven 3s. He finished the first half with 18 points, while Wolters topped him with 20 points.

Mondy added 26 points, six assists and six rebounds in 34 minutes without a turnover off the Oakland bench. Valentine had 12 points and Dante Williams, who has started the last five games with Mondy on the bench, added 10 points in 24 minutes.

South Dakota State held a 39-24 rebounding advantage, but Oakland shot marginally better, going 30 for 61 (49 percent). The Jackrabbits shot 48 percent (28 of 59) and a perfect 17 for 17 from the free-throw line. Oakland was just 12 of 15.

The Grizzlies, who have shown a steep decline in turnovers committed, lost the ball a season-low four times Saturday, while forcing 14 Jackrabbit turnovers which it they converted for 18 points.

The lead, which Oakland carried for much of the second half, changed hands 17 times Saturday, 14 times in the first half alone.

The Jackrabbits, the reigning Summit League tournament champions, have never won at the O'rena in six attempts and Oakland now has a 19-game home court winning streak in the month of February. The Grizzlies topped conference title contender North Dakota State Thursday.

South Dakota State, the Summit League preseason favorite, took a seven-point win in the teams' previous meeting Jan. 10 in Brookings, S.D.

"We folded down the stretch at South Dakota State," Bader said. "We brought the energy and intensity (in the second half today)."

With the victory, Oakland moves back to .500 for the first time since Nov. 11, the second game of the season.

Oakland hits the road for a three-game swing at South Dakota Thursday, Kansas City Saturday and Fort Wayne Feb. 20. They return to the O'rena Feb. 23 for their ESPN Bracketbusters matchup with Morehead State Feb. 23.